PLYMPTON-WYOMING – Suncor Energy’s plan to build a 100 MW wind farm in Lambton County has the potential to divide the community, a Plympton-Wyoming councillor warns.

Opposition to the Cedar Point Wind Power Project is growing in the municipality, said Coun. Ron Schenk.

“As the news gets out, more and more people are realizing what’s happening,” he said.

Suncor has public meetings scheduled for April 18 at the Camlachie Community Centre, and April 19, at the Forest legion hall on Albert Street. Both meetings are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“There will be officials there from Suncor to respond to questions and look at the various maps and displays with people,” said Suncor spokesperson Michael Southern.

He said the company is just beginning the public consultation process required for provincial environmental approval of the project, which was awarded a 20-year Feed-in Tariff power purchase contract last July by the Ontario Power Authority.

A draft project report Suncor has posted on its website says the Cedar Point Wind Power Project will have up to 62 wind turbines in an area stretching from O’Brien Road, north of Highway 402, in Plympton-Wyoming to just west of Thedford in Lambton-Shores.

The report says construction could begin in June 2013, with the turbines operating by the following summer.

Schenk said he’s not a fan of the project or Ontario’s Green Energy Act.

“I don’t like it because of the way it divides the community,” Schenk said. “It makes winners and losers of people.”

The winners will be landowners paid for having a turbine on their property, and the losers will be their neighbours who have to live with the turbines without any compensation, he said. Read the rest of this entry →

Report from Adelaide Metcalfe, March 20, 2012: We came early- 5’oclock, just in case some councillors actually came early for the ‘preview’. We wanted to make sure there wasn’t a quorum happening, as this closed door meeting general public was not allowed in between 5:30-6:00 – only landowners with leases and municipal council to ‘mingle’ (see letter below). We took pictures of those who entered the building.

The only one who really minded the camera was Adelaide Metcalfe ”sunshine list” Clerk / Admin/ Treasurer’s (Fran Urbshott) husband. As the pictures attached show, Mr. Brian Urbshott came in, had his picture taken then hurled towards M. and swatted the camera out of her hand before it was away from her face— hence the pictures of the signs in a blur.

He said he was “going to shove the camera (*censored*)”. He came back at her two more times, reaching out and and smacking at the camera and yelling loudly at her.

The last time his wife grabbed him from behind by the belt and pulled him away. You can see her holding him off in the last picture. Notice the Security guard hired by Suncor. He just stood there and watched.

So…why was Mr. Urbshott so upset? Why all the secrecy at this closed door meeting? Why was the husband of the CAO allowed into a meeting where the public was banned?